Telecommunications operators in Nigeria now have direct access to revenue generated from Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services, following the adoption of a new billing model approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The new End-User Billing (EUB) framework permits mobile operators such as MTN, Airtel, 9mobile, and Glo to deduct USSD charges directly from subscribers’ airtime balances. This reform eliminates the banks’ role as intermediaries in the USSD payment process.
Previously, telecom operators accused banks of collecting over N200 billion worth of USSD service fees without remitting payments to the operators.
“Before now, banks would deduct the money from our accounts and fail to remit it to the telcos. It was always a problem,” said Adeolu Ogunbanjo, President of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), in a statement to The PUNCH.
Under the new billing system, subscribers will receive a prompt to opt-in and approve a charge of N6.98 per session, which covers a duration of up to 120 seconds.
Telecom industry stakeholders, including NATCOMS, have welcomed the reform, calling it a long-overdue move that promotes transparency, accountability, and financial clarity within the sector.
The EUB framework is expected to enhance service delivery, reduce payment conflicts, and ensure fair compensation for services rendered by mobile network operators.
